Abby pulled a pen and paper from her purse and wrote her number and address. "We'll leave you to your business. Before you leave town stop by my place and we can visit. I want you to keep in touch. Too much time has passed by." She leaned across the counter and gave Gretchen a kiss on the cheek and a hug.
Gretchen waved to us. "It's wonderful to meet you all."
*****
Weeks turned into months and it was summer. By July, Felicia confirmed Andy met the requirements for enrollment in Lowell High School for September, and there was nothing more for her to do. She had given him the required tests and submitted them along with the references and recommendations for his enrollment into Lowell High School. That night, as we cleared the dinner table, we asked what he wanted to do to celebrate.
“I want to see the redwoods.”
We stood there at the table holding dirty dishes and he must have realized our surprise.
“Felicia told me about the Muir Woods just outside of the city. I thought it would be cool to go see them. Get out of here for a day.”
I looked at Isaac and he shrugged his shoulders, “Sure.”
A day out of the city sounded like a good idea. “We’ll pack a picnic basket and make a day of it.” Bright and early Saturday, Betty was packed, and we were on our way. It was a sunny, warm day and not a cloud was in the sky. As we crossed the Golden Gate Bridge the Marin Headlands were golden brown and there was a warm breeze coming through the open windows. We left early enough to beat most of the traffic.
Turning off the highway we followed the signs and arrived at the entrance to the park. Climbing out of Betty, Andy took off for the ranger station, calling over his shoulder that he would get the maps and information on the park. Isaac hoisted his backpack that had granola bars and several bottles of water. I grabbed two bottles of cold water from the ice chest and handed one to Isaac as we grinned at Andy’s enthusiasm.
My man looked so rugged in his short-sleeved shirt, short pants and backpack. If we had been alone, I could have thought of a lot of ways we could spend our time besides admiring the redwoods. I needed to focus or walking would become difficult. “I hope we can keep up.”
“Sebby, we’re not that old. Yet.”
Andy returned and handed Isaac a stack of literature and then unfolded a map pointing out a marked line. “The ranger said this is the best trail to follow.”
“Okay. Shall we?” I grabbed another bottle for Andy and we headed out.
“Wait!” Andy went to the driver’s side of the car and opened the door to grab his backpack. “Now we can go.”
Isaac slung an arm over Andy’s shoulder. “So, as you are our guide, where are we headed?”
“We’re going on the Bohemian Grove Trail. It’s a hike, so I hope you guys can handle it.”
“Psshh!” I was wearing my walking shoes, and I wasn’t some prissy little girl. “I used to dance for hours. A walk is nothing!”
Isaac looked at me and then winked at Andy who shook his head and sniggered. I had never seen trees so big. They were giants. The only word to describe them was majestic. I stopped and ran my hand along the bark of one. The bark was reddish brown, but it was soft, not rough like other trees. When I looked up, I could not even see the top. I felt insignificant standing next to this force of nature.
“Sebastian?”
“Yes?”
Isaac was grinning at me. “You seemed far away somewhere.”
“I can’t believe how big they are.”
“Guys.” Andy was waving at us. “The ranger told me of a spot up ahead where I want to stop. Come on.”
I lost track of the time looking up at the sky through the leaves. The sun breaking through here and there, casting shadows around us. Thank god it was a well-worn path or I might have broken my neck.
We stopped at a wooden bridge. A stream flowed underneath and, across the bridge, you could see the path continued, winding through the trees. I stood there staring. It was as if it were a movie set, or a picture waiting to be snapped. The tall trunks surrounded the path on both sides, graced by tall delicate ferns that hung still, waiting for a gust of wind to fan them to life.
I hadn’t noticed, but somehow I ended up ahead of them. When I turned around Isaac had that annoying, yet endearing smile aimed at me, and Andy had pulled out a sketch pad and pencil from his pack, sitting on a rail next to the path. He was sketching away and absorbed in his work. Isaac, sitting on a wooden rail on the opposite side, put a finger to his lips and patted a spot on the rail next to him.
Making my way to his side, I sat down and he slid his arm around my shoulder, leaning in close. “He is such a natural. He was staring at that spot, sat down, and started drawing. Maybe soon he will have the confidence to show us how good he is.”
“I hope so. I believe Abby. We need to give him time. He hasn’t had it easy.”
Isaac placed a kiss on my temple. “I love you, Sebby. More than I ever thought possible. You mean everything to me. Now, with Andy in our lives, I have all the family I could ever want.”
*****
Making our way back to Betty we found a picnic ground nearby and stopped for lunch. It was still early in the day and there was no rush to go back so we visited the town of Sausalito, a fashionable Bohemian community at one time, well-known center for its artists and crafts. It also had one famous, or to some people, infamous, resident in its past, Sally Stanford. She was considered a contributor to the founding of the United Nations. Quite a few of the delegates to the founding conference were customers of her famous bordello in San Francisco. In 1972 she was elected mayor of the small artistic town. Occasionally I have done a little reading about where I live.
Andy surprised us once again with a very discerning eye. For someone of only sixteen, he knew what he liked and disliked in art. He seemed to appreciate impressionism, realism, and painterly styles. Painterly is the style where the paint is less controlled and results in the appearance of brushstrokes visible within a finished painting. We walked into one gallery and he turned around and left, shaking his head and calling it crap. Isaac and I couldn't help but laugh as there was a very respected artist represented, but the style was cubism, like Pablo Picasso.
When we were almost home, I could hear Andy's stomach grumble and suggested we stop for Chinese takeout. Andy was on board with that suggestion, and wanted his Kung Pow Chicken, while Isaac and I settled on Sweet and Sour Pork and Chicken. We ordered extra rice as we were all hungry.
Once we were home and gathered around the kitchen table, I decided to be brave and ask what I was sure was also on Isaac's mind. "Andy? Can we see what you were drawing today?"
"Yeah. We'd love to see what you were drawing. If you don't mind."
He stirred the rice and chicken on his plate. "It's real rough. It's not finished. I did a rough sketch that's all."
I appreciated how he felt. He needed to understand we wanted to share in what he was doing and not judge it. "Andy… we'd just like to be a part of what you are doing, in some little way."
"Okay." He gave a hesitant smile and took off to his room. He returned a minute later with his sketch pad. Flipping it open he handed it to Isaac. "Remember. It's just a rough sketch."
Isaac took it and turned it around so we could both see it. When he first saw it, it was hard to read his expression. A moment later his eyes went wide and his face broke out into a huge smile. "Sebby! Look!"
Even though it was a pencil drawing the detail and shading were so precise. The streams of light breaking through the leaves gave it such a focus. He really captured the essence of the grove. "Andy, it's beautiful. It really is beautiful. I… we, are so proud of you."
He turned three shades of red. "Thanks, guys."
We had both been thinking it and I decided to at least ask the question. "Can I ask why you haven't shown us any of your paintings yet?"
He reached out for his pad and closed it. "It's kind of hard to explain. I mean…, it's really personal right now.
No offense. I… I will show you guys. I promise. Just not right now."
He got up and went out the door into the hall and we heard his door close.
Isaac looked at me. "I know he's not angry. It's almost like he's apologizing. We have to be patient, Sebastian."
"I know." I put my head on his shoulder and closed my eyes as I let out a sigh.
*****
One afternoon we were sitting in the back yard enjoying the sun, sipping our iced tea while Andy was working in his study when Abby joined us. The rare opportunity to see her without our young man in attendance was not to be missed. I poured her a glass. “His drawing of the redwood grove was gorgeous.”
“Abby.” Isaac leaned across the table in a hushed voice as if he might be overheard. “We knew Andy was talented, but not like that.”
“I told you the boy is good.” She waived at us dismissively. “He’s raw, but he's good. He needs to find his medium.” She swirled her glass. “Ah. This is refreshing.”
“Abby.” Isaac got that edge in his voice. “What do you mean?”
“Isaac, you need to understand. He’s young. Right now he enjoys painting. He might move on to sculpture, or pottery. Who knows? The boy is finding his way. He’s rough around the edges and has a talent that will be smoothed out with time. Just be patient. Give the boy time.”
“What should we do? I mean, how should we help him?” I didn’t want to coddle Andy, but we wanted to be supportive.
“You guys are doing everything you can. The art classes at school will let him experiment in the different mediums so he can try different things. If he needs supplies, just buy them. Nothing more.” Finishing her drink, she stood up. “Now, I have a model coming over in a few minutes. Enjoy the rest of your afternoon.”
*****
Andy spent the rest of the summer upstairs. Something was up with our young man. He was now usually up early and gone before we left our room, leaving us a note wishing us a good day. Happily, we always saw him at dinner. He would smile, but was not talkative about what he was doing, and whenever we asked how things were at Abby’s, he would simply say that everything was “cool”, and change the subject. There was an air of mystery, and it felt awkward. We missed our little red-headed imp. We knew when school started it would be more of the same, what with classes, school activities with friends, and art lessons with Abby, but our little cocoon was something special we knew would change. August was available, and we decided to carve out more time with him.
We talked to Abby and made sure that each weekend we had an outing. There were galleries and picnics to fill out the rest of the month, so when school started, we at least had memories to fill out the winter until there was the next break to share with Andy.
We decided to surprise him with an overnight trip to Hearst Castle in San Simeon. It turned out he had never heard of it, so it was a surprise. William Randolph Hearst may have been a bastard of a human being, but he was a wealthy one, and knew how to live an opulent lifestyle in certain ways, and be a cheap one in others. We made reservations at a little hotel near the beach, a short drive from the castle.
Deciding to live it up and do the trip in style, we rented a Cadillac Fleetwood Brougham four-door sedan for the drive. It was roomy and comfortable for the long drive, offering plenty of trunk space for our luggage and art supplies for Andy and Abby. Abby wanted us to use her station wagon, but for the long road trip I thought we needed a more civilized form of transport. Isaac, ever the gentleman, offered to drive. He had a grin on his face for almost the whole trip down. He even considered renting a chauffeur’s uniform for the trip but I put my foot down. That was going overboard.
We departed bright and early for the long drive and to beat the traffic. As we drove up the hill to the castle Andy’s eyes grew as wide as saucers. I had seen it years ago on an earlier trip, but it was much more appealing to watch Andy’s reaction. “Guys, it's cool, but, at the same time, it really is tacky!”
We all burst out laughing. “Yes. The man had money, but that didn’t mean he had taste. The main building is a mix of Baroque and Renaissance.” I could feel the adrenaline rising. This was a wonderful experience for Andy and I wanted to share it with him. “Wait until you see the inside. The inside is a hodgepodge of styles to go with what he collected. He had some beautiful antiques and china but he served his meals with ketchup bottles on the table.”
“Whoa! Really?”
I paid our admission, and we began the tour. “I want to save the best for last. You have your sketch book?”
“Yeah. It’s in my pack.”
“Smart move, Sebby.” Isaac reached for my hand while Abby slipped her arm through Andy’s.
It was a few weeks before school started and I was surprised how few tourists there were. Some security people gave us odd looks, but Isaac stared them down, and I just ignored them. When we entered the main hall, we were greeted by the massive dining table. The table was set with exquisite china, but like I told Andy, the condiment bottles were laid out, and he and Abby giggled like kids at the tacky display.
I heard a gasp when he noticed the tapestries on the walls. The huge tapestries depicted various hunting scenes. Definitely not to my taste for the brutality, but it wasn’t in my home. Andy circled the room as Isaac, Abby and I watched him. He wasn’t just looking as an admirer. We watched as he inspected them. You could see him appraising the quality of the work, and the colors. Abby gave me a knowing smile as Isaac squeezed my hand. We continued the tour, admiring the sculptures, armor, and a few guest houses, as well as the indoor pool.
Finally, we reached the last stop. “You ready?” This was my favorite part when I visited here. I hoped it would be his.
Raising an eyebrow, he looked at me. “Yes.” We stepped outside. “Holy shit!”
The Neptune Pool. It was a large, ornate, outdoor pool. Though the indoor Roman pool was more opulent, this was my favorite. The pool had a view of the ocean, the hills, and the castle. It was surrounded by pillars, and what appeared to be small temples, statues, and monuments. It was tasteless, and at the same time, beautiful. I didn’t know how it was possible, but it was. Andy had his pad and pencil out and was sitting off to the side sketching feverishly. Abby was looking over his shoulder, nodding and making suggestions while Isaac was staring off at the ocean.
I walked over to him and slipped my arms around his waist from behind. I rested my head on his shoulder, “Nice, isn’t it?”
He placed his hands over mine. “It’s so peaceful here. You did good, Sebby. Real good.”
*****
We checked into our hotel near the ocean. Abby and Andy each had their own room. We let Andy have his own room so he could have freedom, and we could have our privacy. Well, it was some privacy, as it was an adjoining room and we couldn’t make too much noise.
The hotel had a nice restaurant overlooking the ocean, and we met for a late afternoon dinner. Andy was busy sketching the view while Abby and I discussed many oddities of the castle. The man, at one time, had the largest private zoo in the country. He collected some of the most beautiful things from around the world but never appreciated them. To him, it was all about status. At least now people could appreciate it.
Andy took a break to order a hamburger, and a strawberry shake; while Isaac and I ordered the house special, crab cakes; and Abby ordered a Cobb salad. When our dinner arrived, Andy showed us his sketch of the afternoon sunset over the ocean. I continued to marvel at our young man’s talent. Our little excursion before he started classes was wonderful, but now our world would change. I would miss having him nearby all the time.
CHAPTER SIXTEEN
The Event
Sebastian
We had settled on renting an office in an old Victorian building at the beginning of the business district on Haight Street. It was just a few blocks from the flat. The office was small, efficient, and fit our use at the moment, and I hired a nice middle-aged woman by the name of Elizabeth Dandridge to set it
up and run it for me. Mrs. Dandridge turned out to be a real blessing. She had worked in David's office for quite a few years and set up our office in nothing flat. When I asked about our need to hire anyone else at the moment, she waived me off. "Until we know the extent of activity, it's too early to tell. I can handle things for now."
When David asked her to look into an office for the foundation, she asked him if they needed anyone. Taken by surprise at the request, they went to lunch together and she explained how she lived in the area where he was looking and admitted that she had been looking for a job closer to home. The long bus ride was getting to her after so many years. He told her he would pass along her interest and a good reference to his client. Like the title of that old romantic musical, it was Kismet.
When May arrived, I was told the final touches were being done for the clinic and that I needed to complete final approval with a walk through. The doctor who oversaw the establishment of the board also volunteered to handle the hiring of the staff. I was wary at first, and checked with Leland, but he was very supportive of the idea, so I gave Dr. Timothy James the full go ahead.
Dr. James recommended the staffing positions for the clinic, and their salary levels. He arranged all the interviews and first screenings. After he completed the preliminary rounds and narrowed down the selection to the primary candidates, he asked that I sit in on the final interviews for approval. In addition to our permanent staff, we arranged with the University of California San Francisco Medical School for a program using their interns for training in our staff rotations.
I felt awkward, but knew it was necessary to express my vision of what I wanted to accomplish with the clinic. If they didn't respond favorably to my idea, then I didn't want them to be a part of the team. Isaac had a genius of an idea when I told him about my plans to sit in on the final interviews. He suggested we draw up a mission statement. I would give every candidate a copy of the statement during the final interview and ask their opinion. We took three days to draw it up, but I was rather proud of what we came up with.
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